Dispensing apparatus



Nov. 21, 1944. 6. SMITH DISPENSING APPARATUS s Sheet s-Sheet 1 Filed May 20, 1943 Nov. 21, 1944. G. SMITH DISPENSING APPARATUS Filed May 20, 1943' 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 NOV. 21, G s n- DISPENSING APPARATUS s Sheets-Sheet .3

Filed May 20, 1943 j ww Patented Nov. 21, 1944 Graydon Smith, Concord, Mass assignor to a l Electricooker, Inc., Newburyport, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application May 20, 1943, Serial No. 487x116 7 Claims.

Thisinvention relates to a novel dispensing apparatus adapted for use in packaging machines,

nut cooking machines, etc., andwherever the dispensing of measured amounts of a unit or granular product is required. One important feature of the invention renders the apparatus more particularly applicable to the dispensing of frangible and brittle materials, such, for example, as shelled nuts. It is highly desirable that such materials shall remainwhole and unbroken and their value and quality are greatly decreased byany crushing or breaking of the product. One of the objects of the invention resides in the production of an improved dispensing apparatus which will dispense.

such products without causing any crushing or breaking thereof. t

The invention more particularly. concerns an extremely simple dispensing apparatus embodying a hopper and a cooperating measuring chamber supported on a frame inrelatively adjacent positions on opposite sides of a vertical plane therebetween, and cut-off means disposed wholly or .partially within said plane and movable vertically to one position permitting flow of material from the hopper into and filling the receptacle while preventing discharge of the material therefrom and toanother position cutting off such flow and permitting the discharge of the measured quantity of material from the receptacle, means being provided to vary the operative position of the receptacle vertically whereby varying the capacity of its measuring chamber. The production of such an improved and simple apparatus adapted continuously to dis- .pense measured quantities of a frangible prod-- not without crushing or breakingit comprisesa further object of the invention.

These and other features of the invention will be best understood and appreciated from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof. selected. for purposes of illustration and shown in the accompanying drawings in which,

Fig. 1 is a plan view of an apparatus embodying my invention, h i i Fig. 2 is a rear elevationthereof; i Fig. 3 is a front elevation, partially broken away, l

Fig. 4 is a sectional View taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3,

Figs. 6 and 7 are fragmentary views illustrating the dispensing steps of the apparatus employing a single cut-off plate, 1

Figs. 8 and 9 are fragmentary views of a modified construction employing two cut-off plates operated together asa unit, i

Figs. 10,11 and 12 are fragmentary viewsof a modified construction employing two cut-off plates in a single plane and operated in syn- Fig. 13' is a front elevation of the cut-off con struction shown inFigs. -12, T

Figs. 14, 15 and 1'6 are views similar to Figs.

5-7 but showing a somewhat modified form of the invention, V t

Figs. 17, 18 and "19 illustrate the construction of Figs. 14-16 adjusted to a position adapting it to dispense larger batches, N Fig; 20 is a rear elevation of the apparatus certain portions being shown diagrammatically.

Referring firstto theform of invention shown in Figs. 1-7, a hopper I0 is supported on one side of a frame comprising two uprights l2 and a measuringreceptacle I4 is supported "on the opposite side ofthe frame, the hopper and receptacle being closely adjacent but on opposite sides of a vertical plane extending through the frame. The walls of the hopper include a bottom wall l5 sloping downwardly toward the frame and a back wall l6 extending downwardly short of the bottom wall to provide an exit passage l8.

The measuring receptacle I4 is supported on the frame in position to receive material dis-1 chargedfrom the hopper through the passage 18. The receptacle is provided with vertically extending side flanges 20 seated in vertical guideways in the frame and by which the receptacle can be adjusted todiiferent positions vertically. Clamping screws 22 threaded in the frame and in binding engagement withthe flanges serve to hold the receptacle firmly in place. The receptacle I4 is located in position to receive the product discharged through the passage I8 to the ex tent of the capacity "of that portion of its chamber located below the passage, and this capacity can. be varied by adjusting the receptacle to differentpositions vertically. A dischargechute Ziis mounted on the frame beneath the hopper in position to receive the product discharged from thereceptacle l4.

. Flow of the product from the hopper into the receptacle l4 and from the latter to the discharge chute 24 is controlled by a cut-off plate 26 mounted. for Vertical reciprocation in the frame between the hopper and receptacle 14. This plate has a cut-out opening 28 adjacent to its bottom end and carries a roller 30 riding onthe periphery of an eccentric 32 on a shaft 34. The eccentric is adapted to reciprocate the plate vertically to the extreme positions illustrated in Figs. 5 andl. I

. determined by When the cut-off plate 26 is in itslowermost position (Fig. 5) the product in the hopper flows downwardly through the passage I8 and fills the without causing any crushing or breaking there of. When the plate reaches the position of Fig. '7 the measured product flows from the receptacle I4 outwardly through the chute 24. The eccentric 32 is rotated at a speed which'pefmit's" com;

plete. filling and discharging of" the measuring receptacle.

In Figs. 8 and 9 I have illustratedmydispensing apparatus as discharging measured quarrti ties of the product from the side of the measuringmeceptacle opposite to the. hopper. the. product i p y p n str l .therhop e t ou h-t e measuring receptacle in rneasured batches. I; This apparatus is like that above described exoeptthat i-t-. mp10ys...two cutmfiipl tes ead the/plate 40 being located between.thegh opperandmeasui ing. chamber;andrcopt o-lli eithe. e e e of ter al' fremthe hQ ecaa t e a e .izt e n cated between the measuring chamber and its dischar ch e M-i ?hetw n etes:a e s p r edsoriatyok e l6 carrying a roller lli resting on the periphery of anreccerrtrig o. on ashaft 52. e ect-tha whee agrees ere inept-F b e hop dis e then closed inplpne tt nv a comrnon plane between the hopper and The to platens!) is sup carrying arche 65 resting 'ai'n fifi' Thebottomplate thev periphery yc l castr te f; 10,-12. w: i -m sel i e Pl losing. the. discharge I av g,th e hopper pasitord charge. to themeasiiring'chamth pl es. thereafter ,move upwardly to The 1owei' late 62 .is then moved down: Wardly ti er siiw i -F 5 tw n-We easured. hatch discharges outwardly throu lithe chilte @In igs. 14-30, I p e illustratedpa modified formmoiuthe invention in; which the measuring receptacle ,is, ada" be. raljsed tp dispensing position at each d" pnsihg operation; whereby t re rifled Ye i li i nr The l opp rfil asur- 5-1 k iertth t h 0.1 ,i e j fi eil th 'Thasr 1 1m s iej efieiteen q. ier n Yeme i er i- 5511i thi icme pe o ptih r wr tese pair of stops ,83 threaded into fixed brackets B41 F'igs'. 1 4-16 the stops 83 are a dji isted to their iipperiho'st positions where; in they hold the receptacle flush with the disthe. two plates. are

we 1 1 im w ra' e sae re u res 5. ite cutoff charge chute 82. In Figs. 17-19 the stops are adjusted to a position permitting dropping of the receptacle substantially below the discharge chute. It will be apparent that the dispensing capacity of the receptacle is increased-as the stops are lowered. i

The flow of material from the hopper 80 to the receptacle 8|. and the discharging of the material from the latter are controlled by a cut-ofi plate 85 which extends upwardly along and in contact with a fixed plate 86 extending a sub- -stantial.-;distance below the discharge chute 82 and closing the open side of the receptacle below the chute;s The plate 85 is operated vertically bya cam than a shaft 88, and an adjacent cam 89 on this shaft is adapted to reciprocate a plungor 90 f or raising the receptacle 8| to the dispensing position of Fig. 19. The cams are so I constructed that on each rotation of the shaft t ese are dpf "a mst ated in i 1 11 19 to a position giving t h'e required receptacle capacity a corresponding.ineasured quant tygr the material is d spensed at eachfr-otation 9 hefiha ii .8. ii its n i it e i' h t cycle the cut-01f plate closes the chute 82. and leaves open the passage from the hopper into the measgeceptd 'e (Fig, i?) fThe receptacle is A. i i fifi id f in? h U a d mfl n ent r piate thereafter cuts off said passage while leaving the chute passage closed (Fig.. 18) During continued rctation of the shaft the pl te 85 andreceptacle 8| are raisedsimuItarieousIy to theirtb ifiost positions (Fig. 19). hi such positi'oh the rqi f tacle is flush with the chute 82 and the opening 92 through the plate permits dis charge-or the material. I It will e noted that in the apparatus illustrated in Figsi14-20 the dischargechute 8| is disposed directly beneath the hopper whereas in the apparat-us illustrated in Figs. 1-13 the chute is l cated a substantial distance beneath the hopper, this latter spacing of the chute being required to pro-i vide for vertical' adju'st'm ent of the measuring rece'ptacle 14'. Thusthe fo m of invention illustrated in Figs; 14-20 requiresiess vertical sp ce to accommodate the apparatus and also requires a shorter cut-off plate stroke. It w-ill now be apparent that I have'produced an extremely simple and highly efficient dis.-

pen'sing apparatus of the nature described and which is adaptedto dispense measured batches of fragile products without injury to or c'rushing or breaking of the product. I

. Having thus described my inventiontvhat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patht or the United States is:

1. A dispensing apparatus comprisinga frame.

tacle providing a chamber disposed beneath the lowermost end of the bottom wall in position to receive material sliding down the bottom wall and through the passage, cut-ofi means insaid plane movable vertically and relatively of the hopper and receptacle to one position in'which it permits flow of material by gravity from the hopper through said passage and into the receptacle and prevents discharge by gravity from the receptacle and to another position in which it cuts on said flow of material and permits discharge flow of material by gravity fromthe receptacle, and

meansfor reciprocating said cut-off means vertically to and between said positions.

2. The dispensing apparatus defined in claim l in which the cut ofi means comprises a single 1 cut-oil plate in said plane said passage and into the receptacle and prevents discharge from the receptacle and to another position in which it cuts off said flow of material and permits discharge flow of material from the receptacle, and means operated synchronously with the cut-off means for raising the l receptacle at each discharging operation thereof.

receptacle and in whichthe last named means 6. The dispensingapparatus defined in claim 5 inwhich said stop means is adjustable for variably limiting downward movement of the is adapted to raise the receptacle from any adjusted down position to a predetermined, top position.

capacity thereof beneath said lowermost endof j" the bottom wall. 9

5. A dispensing apparatuscomprising a frame,

ment; of the receptacle, the hopper and receptacle being relatively adjacent but on opposite sides of a vertical plane therebetween, the hopper having a bottom wall sloping downwardly toward said plane and a side wall adjacent to but out of said plane and extending downwardly short of the bottom wall to provide an exit passage therebetween, the receptacleproviding a chamber disposed beneath the lowermost end of the bottom Wall in position to receive material slidingdown the bottom walland through the passage, cut-off means movable Vertically and relatively of the hopper and receptacle to one position in which it permits flow of material from the hopper through a hopper carried by the frame, a measuring receptacle mounted for vertical movement on the frame, stop means for limiting downward, move-,

frame and having a downwardly sloping bottom wall a discharge chute adapted to cooperate with the lowermost end of the bottom wall to receive .material discharged from the receptacle, stop means forlimiting downward movement of the receptacle, the hopper and receptacle being relatively adjacentbuton opposite sides ofa vertical plane therebetween, the hopper having a bottom I wall sloping downwardly toward said plane, and a side wall adjacent to but out of said plane and extending downwardly short of the hopper bottom wall to provide an exit passage therebetween, the receptacle providing a chamber disposed beneath the lowermost end of the hopper bottom wall in position to receive material sliding down such wall and through the passage, a cut-ofi plate in said plane movable vertically and relatively of l the hopper and receptacle to one position in whichit permits. flow of material from the hopper through said passage and into thereceptacle and prevents discharge from the reecptacle and to another position in which it cuts off said flow of material and permits dischargeflow of material from the receptacle, and means operated synchronously with the cut-off plate for raising the receptacle at each discharging operation thereof to a position wherein said lowermost end of the receptacle bottom wall is at an elevation at least equal to that of the adjacent end of the chute.

GRAYDON SMITH;

'7. A dispensing apparatus comprising a frame, ,a hopper carried by the frame, a measuring receptacle mounted for vertical movement on the 

